The Hospital Pastoral Services (HPS) is charged with providing spiritual nourishment services to the patients. The Department is headed by Hospital Chaplain.
Hospital Pastoral Services Department Processes
- Providing spiritual care at patient bedside; bed-to-bed visitation,
- Help patients face reality of sickness and accept treatment,
3.Deal with belief system; some patients believe they are bewitched. Through reflective listening, the Chaplains help them build a good belief system.
- Address cultural issues, which hinder treatment.
- Administering Sacraments,
- The Chaplains seek consent, pray for and with patients after listening to their stories and struggles.
- The Chaplains provide spiritual care to Caretakers who undergo anxieties, stress, and emotional breakdown as they take care of their relatives who are sick,
Staff; (counseling, spiritual intervention, reconciliation, spiritual direction),
- Sharing spiritual content with staff during morning devotions and Eucharistic Celebration and lunchtime services.
- Morning devotion, lunchtime services/mass for staff,
10.Bereavement support; provide moral support to the bereaved families, relatives and friends and conduct short services at farewell,
- Helping clients in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Centre form a new identity and approach life by taking them through spiritual 12 steps.
- Sharing words of hope to mentally-ill patients.
The Chaplain.
At the centre of the spiritual services/care provided in the MTRH through HPS is the Hospital chaplain. The Chaplain is an integral member of the healthcare team/staff. He/she makes daily rounds and is available to provide spiritual/pastoral care to patients, caretakers, relatives and the staff. The Chaplain is available to provide objective crisis intervention and competent spiritual support. He/she does that by offering spiritual, psychological and moral support and journeys with them.
The services provided by the department can be divided into two important categories namely;
Spiritual/pastoral care to patients, staff, caretakers, relatives.
Hospital functions.
SPIRITUAL/PASTORAL CARE TO PATIENTS, STAFF, CARETAKERS, RELATIVES.
- Inputs
- Need for spiritual/pastoral care and request for it from the above mentioned clients.
- Resources
- Music, Prayers, Religious leaders (imam, priests, pastors), places of Worship, Holy Scriptures (Bible, Qur’an,), Hymn books, prayer books, spiritual books, staff, relatives, sacraments, counselling rooms, adequate time, follow-up, referral.
What happens?
- Formal introduction;
Making a contact;
- For patient, a call/referral from relative, friend, caretaker, staff, priest, pastor where the patient belongs to.
- For staff, a call/referral from the staff, management,
- Chaplain’s initiative.
- Then establishing a relationship of trust (rapport).
- Introducing self.
- Hearing the client’s name.
- Building a hopeful expectation.
- Assuring of confidentiality.
- Information setting boundaries.
- Spiritual Diagnosis;
Focus; assessment of the client
- Probing,
- Exploring the present situation;
- Identifying the threats,
- The process of keeping the session close to the particular problem as much as possible.
- Attentive listening (keenly listening) to arrive at a spiritual diagnosis.
- Agree on the underlying needs/fear/anger/ bitterness/unforgiveness.
- Spiritual Intervention;
Intervention: doing something about the situation;
- Putting together the client’s problem,
- assist in decision making,
- Emphasize relationship with others,
- confronting,
- Guiding and encouraging,
- Use of scripture,
- Sacramental intervention (Baptism, Holy Communion, Anointing of the Sick, Confirmation, Confession),
- Prayers,
What is the intended output (outcome)?
The intended output is the spiritual wellbeing of the clients.
The characteristics of spiritual well-being
- lowered anxiety,
- feel empowered,
- able to cope with the situation,
- at peace with self, others, with God,
- reconciled with self, others, with God,
- a meaningful life that integrates chronic illness,
- a peaceful death.
The next process;
- follow-up,
- referral,
- connect the patient with pastor/priest or sheikh, family members, relatives.
HOSPITAL FUNCTIONS.
Inputs; need for conducting spiritual/pastoral services in Hospital functions.
Resources;
- Management,
- Music, prayers,
- Religious leaders (imam, priests, pastors),
- Holy Scriptures (Bible, Qur’an),
- Hymn books,
- Prayer books,
- Staff,
- Adequate time.
What happens?
- Formal communication from management,
Formal introduction;
- Introduction; being updated on the nature of the function,
- meet the MC
Intervention;
- Opening prayers,
- Scripture reading,
- Short reflection,
- Closing prayers
The intended output (outcome);
Spiritual nourishment during Hospital functions.
Characteristics of the intended output;
- Spiritual satisfaction,
- At peace with self, others; those who attended the function,
- Improved good service delivery of the staff.
- Improved good working relationship.
INNOVATION SERVICES;
- Centre for Assault Recovery – Eldoret (C.A.R.E);
- Staff Family counselling,
- Sunday Service,
- Sunday School at Shoe4Africa,
- Helping clients at Alcohol and Drug Abuse Rehabilitation Centre (ADA) form a new identity and approach to life by taking them through Spiritual 12 steps,
- Spiritual Session at Alcohol and Drug Abuse Centre,
- Counselling recovering alcoholic and drugs clients at Out-patient Clinic Chandaria,
- Spiritual intervention to cancer patients at Out-patient Oncology Chandaria.
The Hospital Pastoral Services contacts:
Extension :3545
Email: pastoralservices@mtrh.go.ke